The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-06-18
GEORGIA HEMP In USE.
A TRIO OF MURDERERs LAUNCHED
INTO ETERNITY.

Heard County, Jacob Leggett at
Reidsville, in Tattnall, and Fred Nor
gan at Louisville, in Jefferson-Their
Lives and Crimes.
WADLEY, GA, June 17.-Fred Morgan
was hanged at p. IN in Louisville to-day
for the crime of murder. He confessed his
guilt both i'll Jail and Oh the scatfold, and
said he ought to die. lie walked upon the
platform slnbSing cigar, and as cool as a
cucumber. tie is very black, with forbid
ding couutenance and weighs 100 pounds
He could not s,a;c his ago. Ono of his
spiritual advisers raised tie hymn 406,
Come we who loyc the Lord, indeod,n CIV
ing out the lines. The vast negro audience
joined in and made the welilin ring Rev.
E. Burton then offered a fervent prayer a.,
during which the prisoner began to weaken
and perspired profusely. AT the conclusion
he addressed the multitude briefly. After
this Morgan said Il am to die on the
gallows to-day, but this rope and platform
will throw ME into the chariot of the Lord
| will say Mr.. Kelly always treated me
kindly and well. Now, what want to say
is, pray all the time and don't get tired
praying on the way"
ALL FORGIVEN NOW.
One of the attending clergymen, Mr..
Brutin, stated that he was satisfied that the
sins of this man had been forgiven. He
had been a member of the church, but fell
away. eff you unite with the church you
should be true to your profession. You
cannot violate the laws and kill your fellow
man with impunity. Read the twentieth
chapter Of Exodus"
THE FINAL SCENE.
The prisoner then drank water freely, but
his stomach refused it. He then seemed to
weaken rapidly and would have failed had
execution been delayed. The dreadful mo-
ment having arrived, after the black cap
had been adjusted the supports to the
platform were knocked away and
the prisoner was launched
into eternity. His neck was broken by the
fall and he died without a struggle. The
crowd present was estimated at 5000.
Everything was conducted with the best
order and decorum, and the Sheriff and his
assistants performed their functions ad-
mirably.
DETAILS OF MORGAN's CRIME.
Fred Morgan's crime was one of the
blackest that has ever been committed in
the history of jefferson county, and for the
benefit of the readers of the MORNING NEWS
brief account of it is given.
Emma Lewis, his victim, for two or three
years had been separated from her husband
and last summer Morgan induced her to live
with him at eSun Hill, on the Central rail
road. She remained with him until Christ
mas and then came down to John Brinson's
house a mile or two from Louisville,
intending to go back to her hus-
band. On Christmas night at 9
o'clock she went out of the house, telling
Mr.. Brinson she would return shortly. Al
IN holf 1,o
heard gun shot short distance from his
house. After waiting long time for her
to return he became uneasy and went out
to look for her. About fifty yards from his
house he discovered a large pool
of blood, with trail as if
some heavy bleeding object had been
dragged along on the ground Following
this about half a mile across his cotton field
to the adjacent woods, he found that the
trail ended at large stump hole, across
which were thrown pile of freshly cut
bushes. He removed these and found her
body stuffed down in the hole, and upon re-
moving it found the back of her head blown
to atoms and deep cut extending across
her abdomen.
MORGANS ARREST AND TRIAL.
The authorities were notified and an in
gust held and all the evidence pointed to
Morgan as the murderer. A warrant was
issued and on the night of Dec. 26, 1886.
Sheriff Kelley went to MOrgan's house, at
Sun Hill. Morgan and another negro
named Monk McGruder, were in
bed together asleep. At the
head of the bed was a double-barrel shot
gun with one barrel empty. Mr.. Kelley
brought Morgan on to Louisville that morn
ing, and as soon as it was known the negroes
flocked from all quarters and openly spoke
of lynching him. At his commitment trial
he made an open confession of his crime, but
assigned no reason.
THE MURDERERs CONFESSION.
He stated he came down from Sun Hill
and met her by appointment the night of
the killing, and after she had talked with
him good while she turned to leave him.
He tried TO persuade her to come back, and
falling, threw up his gun and shot her in
the head. He then tied her feet together
with a piece of rope and dragged her with
her head down, across the field to the woods.
After getting to the stump hole he then cut
open her abdomen and hid her in the man
ner described.
THE CONVICTION.
At his trial in the Superior Court he plead
guilty and asked for mercy. The jury,
after being out an hour or two, came in
with the verdict of guilty, without any re-
commendatiOn to mercy. After Judge
Hines passed sentence upon him, he said he
was ready and wanted to be hung right
away.
Everyone who knew anything of him
say that he is q most desperate
character. Before the day of his execution
he was trying to starve himself TO death,
and would not taste food for days at a time.
Although very weak and emaciated, he did
not succeed in cheating the gallows, and
paid the just penalty which his crime richly
deserved. n
CARRoLLToN, GA, June 6.-H&rd's tor
ror, John W. Smith, is now gone from
Franklin. Three thousand people Nvere
present TO witness his execution. At 10
O'Clock they left the jail. The ANXIOUS
crowd rushed to the front Of e CAD US.
A private guard Of fifty men stronglyNAd
the scaffold secure from the crowd. Snf1l
made brief address, praising Harris and
Gordon, and said his life had been sworn
away by lies He was not guilty, but
knew a heap that would convict others
if he should tell Of it. He showed
no signs of fear, but held up TO tine last, and
died as he had lived--utterly fearless. The
rope was too short, and he died OF strangu-
lation Great excitement was manifested
by the crowd, and when he was pronounced
dead a sigh OF relief seemed 10 60 up from
the vast throng He was greatly hated in
that section.
A SKETCH OF HIS LIFE
Ioh,, w Smith xyaa bntn In Carroll